Summary & Overview

CPT 01850: Anesthesia for Veins of Forearm, Wrist, and Hand

CPT code 01850 designates anesthesia services for procedures on the veins of the forearm, wrist, and hand. It covers anesthesia delivered for distal upper-extremity venous interventions and serves as the code of record when no more specific anesthesia code applies. Nationally, this code matters because it informs billing and coverage for a common class of outpatient and inpatient vascular procedures affecting the hand and forearm.

Key payers in scope include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will learn how 01850 is defined clinically, where the service is typically delivered (ambulatory surgery centers, hospital ORs, procedure suites), and which payers commonly cover these anesthesia services. The publication provides benchmarks and policy context relevant to billing, clarifies typical sites of service, and outlines the clinical circumstances under which this anesthesia code is used. Data not available in the input for payer-specific rates, associated taxonomies, and ICD-10 pairings is noted where applicable.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnitedHealthcareMedicareCPT 01850anesthesiavenous proceduresupper extremityambulatory surgeryprocedure codingperioperative careanesthesia billing

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 01850 describes anesthesia services provided for procedures on the veins of the forearm, wrist, and hand. This code is used when the anesthesia provider performs care specifically for venous procedures of the distal upper extremity and for anesthesia services not otherwise specified by other anesthesia codes.

Service type: Anesthesia for venous procedures of the forearm, wrist, and hand
Typical site of service: Ambulatory surgery centers, hospital operating rooms, and procedure suites where venous interventions on the distal upper extremity are performed.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 58-year-old patient with symptomatic superficial venous insufficiency of the forearm presents for surgical ligation and microphlebectomy of superficial forearm veins under monitored anesthesia care. Pre-procedure, the anesthesia provider evaluates comorbidities (hypertension, controlled diabetes), reviews medications and allergies, obtains informed consent for anesthesia, and assigns an ASA physical status (commonly P2 or P3). On the day of service the patient is transported to an ambulatory surgery center or hospital outpatient department: intravenous access is established, standard ASA monitors are applied, and sedation/analgesia is administered (often MAC with propofol or midazolam/fentanyl). Local tumescent anesthesia may be used by the proceduralist; the anesthesia professional documents airway management, intraoperative course, hemodynamic stability, any intra-procedural complications, and recovery disposition. This service is coded using 01850 for anesthesia services specific to procedures on veins of the forearm, wrist, and hand when no more specific anesthesia code applies. Typical sites of service include an ambulatory surgery center, hospital outpatient department, or tertiary hospital operating room.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`23`

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`2084P0201X`	Anesthesiology	Anesthesia professionals who provide MAC or general/regional anesthesia for forearm/hand venous procedures.
`207L00000X`	Surgical Assistant	Surgical specialists who may assist in venous procedures; relevant when modifiers like `62` apply.
`207K00000X`	Surgeon	Vascular or hand surgeons who perform the operative venous procedures and coordinate with anesthesia.
`207XS0113X`	Emergency Medicine (consult)	May be involved for perioperative optimization in complex comorbid patients.
`3336K0002X`	Pain Medicine	Interventional pain specialists may perform vein-related procedures in some settings and coordinate anesthesia needs.

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`I83.90`	Varicose veins of unspecified lower extremity without ulcer or inflammation	Not directly for forearm veins but represents common venous pathology; included for context when varied venous disease coding is applied.
`I87.2`	Venous insufficiency (chronic) (peripheral)	Chronic venous insufficiency can affect superficial veins of the upper extremity and prompt procedures on forearm/hand veins requiring anesthesia.
`I83.111`	Varicose veins of right lower extremity with ulcer of thigh, with inflammation	Example of venous disease severity; venous pathology coding often parallels procedural indications though specific upper extremity codes may be used.
`I83.119`	Varicose veins of unspecified lower extremity with ulcer of thigh, without inflammation	Illustrates chronic venous disease presentations that may necessitate venous interventions.
`R22.31`	Localized swelling, right upper limb	Swelling of the forearm/hand can be associated with venous disease prompting diagnostic or therapeutic venous procedures.
`R22.32`	Localized swelling, left upper limb	Same relevance for left-sided presentations.
`I80.89`	Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of other sites	Acute inflammatory venous conditions of the forearm/hand that may require operative management with anesthesia.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`36465`	Endovenous ablation of incompetent vein, extremity, radiofrequency; percutaneous, inclusive of all imaging guidance and catheterization	Often performed for superficial venous insufficiency of the forearm/upper extremity and may be done under the same anesthesia encounter as `01850`.
`36470`	Injection of sclerosant for uncomplicated superficial veins; single vein	Sclerotherapy may be performed before or after anesthesia for focal forearm or hand veins and billed separately from anesthesia.
`37700`	Ligation, division, and excision of varicose veins, superficial; ligation of more than one truncal vein at saphenofemoral or saphenopopliteal junctions — upper extremity equivalent procedures coded by specific vein excision codes	Surgical venous procedures on the forearm/hand that require anesthesia services reported with `01850`.
`36478`	Endovenous ablation of incompetent vein, extremity, laser; percutaneous, inclusive of all imaging guidance and catheterization	Alternate endovenous modality commonly used in the same clinical workflow and requiring anesthesia management.
`20610`	Arthrocentesis, aspiration and/or injection, major joint or bursa (e.g., shoulder)	May be performed in the upper extremity setting for regional analgesia or diagnostic reasons during the perioperative course; occasionally performed in the same episode of care.

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